Brands in China overwhelmed by real-time dataPress release

Yet 65% are unable to integrate multiple data sources – such as social media, blogs, website traffic and search data - leaving them unsure what action to take

In the big data era, is your brand facing the same issue?

Brands have never had so much data at their disposal but new research from Kantar TNS reveals that many are failing to use the information to help them make informed decisions. According to the Kantar TNS Marketing Monitor, a survey of over 2,700 marketing professionals across Asia Pacific, the volume and variety of data is obscuring valuable insights and making it harder for brands to use it to their advantage.

Chinese brands are investing more in data-driven digital platforms and tracking systems to help them understand the challenging online landscape. Much of this data comes into the marketing department, with one in three marketers (31%) now managing real-time data as part of their role.

However, 65% of marketers in China admit that they find it difficult to integrate data from different sources. With so much data available, marketers know they should be able to make decisions in real-time, but many are struggling to integrate traditional and digital measurements.

According to Grace Liu, CEO of Kantar TNS in China, many brands are overwhelmed by the volume of data. “China is one of the most advanced countries in the world when it comes to online platforms, resulting in the generation of unprecedented volumes of consumer behavior data. The good news is that marketers have a wealth of information at their disposal. The not-so-good news however is that it is not always easy to know how to approach the data in order to reveal hidden insights that represent value to the brand.

Because of the difficulties with real-time data, many marketers are falling back on traditional measurements. According to the survey, sales uplift metrics are still used as the number one way of evaluating the success of marketing campaigns. Despite their importance, these metrics are retrospective and do not empower brands to track the ongoing reception of campaigns, react to live issues and make the changes that could nudge their marketing activity in a more favourable direction.

In addition, current market research methods are not helping marketers make quick and informed decisions. Analysis is viewed as ‘not actionable enough’ (64%) and ‘too slow’ (61%) to be of use, according to the marketers surveyed in China.

Some countries are further ahead than others in integrating insights from digital channels. Despite having some of the most advanced social media platforms in the world, China is in fact lagging behind, with only one in three (30%) using social media monitoring when making marketing decisions. Singapore is leading the way, with 55% of marketers monitoring this data, with Malaysia closely behind at 50% and Indonesia at 43%.

Countries using social media monitoring to inform decisions

Singapore – 55%

Malaysia – 50%

Thailand – 46%

South Korea – 45%

Indonesia – 43%

Australia – 43%

India – 42%

China - 30%

Tapping into digital data has the potential to unlock future opportunities for those brands that can leverage it. The survey highlighted that two out of three marketers (67%) across Asia are frustrated with the lack of predictive insight provided by traditional market research. New methods are showing that digital data, when integrated correctly, can not only help make real-time decisions, but can also predict brand equity.

Nitin continues: “As the pace of change accelerates across the region, we need to start using data to gaze into the future, not just measure the here and now. Tracking social and search data to form the basis of a predictive spine delivers insight months ahead of survey data or sales figures. This gives marketers the power to anticipate changes to brand equity in time to actually do something about it. In such a volatile environment, having a telescopic view into the future is an invaluable competitive advantage, and one that brands can’t afford to overlook.”

Kantar TNS Marketing Monitor is based on research carried out by On Device and undertaken across all markets in July 2015. Research is based on responses from 2,716 marketing professionals across eight markets in Asia Pacific.

About Kantar TNS

Kantar TNS advises clients on specific growth strategies around new market entry, innovation, brand switching and customer and employee relationships, based on long-established expertise and market-leading solutions. With a presence in over 80 countries, Kantar TNS has more conversations with the world’s consumers than anyone else and understands individual human behaviours and attitudes across every cultural, economic and political region of the world.

Kantar TNS is part of Kantar, the data investment management division of WPP and one of the world's largest insight, information and consultancy groups. Please visit www.tnsglobal.com for more information.

About Kantar

Kantar is the data investment management arm of WPP and one of the world's largest insight, information and consultancy groups. By uniting the diverse talents of its 12 specialist companies, the group is the pre-eminent provider of compelling data and inspirational insights for the global business community. Its 30,000 employees work across 100 countries and across the whole spectrum of research and consultancy disciplines, enabling the group to offer clients business insights at every point of the consumer cycle. The group’s services are employed by over half of the Fortune Top 500 companies. For further information, please visit us at www.kantar.com